Andrew Samaniego Becomes Eagle Scout

Today is very special day. Last night, I watched a young confident and
intelligent young man my Son, Andrew, go to Eagle Board of Review.
The Eagle Board of Review is the 2nd most important part of becoming an Eagle Scout, the most important being there Eagle Service Project.
During this board of review, the Life Scout must explain to adults, including those representing the local Council, how he became a scout, what he has done while a scout, how Scouting has helped him in areas outside of Scouting, and how he sought, planned, carried out, and reviewed his service project.
It is an indicator of the scout’s communication, leadership, and self confidence skills.
The scout must do this himself; neither his parents nor his Scoutmaster is allowed to be present during the actual board of review.
So as we drove to the conference, I asked him , “…are you nervous?”
“No, I’m pretty confident.” Andrew said
I was pretty impressed, because I think I was more nervous than he was taking him there.
But considering he has done over 7 board reviews, 7 scoutmaster reviews and 4-5 skills reviews over the last 3 1/2 years, I can understand why he was pretty confident.
I waited patiently for over hour as Committee Chair Eamonn McGloin, Advancement Chair Mr. Wilson, Assistant Scoutmaster Terry Welsh and lastly District Chair Jack Moser, reviewed my son file, his project and then question him about his experience with scouting, around 6:40pm, I see them leaving the building.
I watched my son with a big grin on his face walked towards me and he said “I am a Eagle Scout.”
I gave him a huge hug and whisper in his ear, “I am proud of you, you did it!”
After 3 years and 9 months of hard work, goal setting, hundreds of hours of service projects, over 26 merit badges, over 60+ camping and hiking trips this young boy who admits not wanting to join boy scouts when he went to first meeting. He has achieved the highest award in boy scouts!
Congratulations, Andrew I am truly proud of you!
To all the scouts, parents, parent volunteers, Scoutmasters, and Assistant Scoutmasters with Troop 11 in Redlands who donate hundreds of hours of their time and a special thank you to David Kehrlein and David Leysena, who where Andrews Scout Fathers and mentor who guided him and taught all these years.
As I reflected back to when you first started scouting, I was amazed by how much you have grown, so I had to share two pictures when Andrew first joined scouting. He is going to kill me!